Welcome to Korea Exposé

exposé [ɛkspoʊˈzeɪ]: A French noun meaning project or presentation. Also means to be exposed. In the English language, the word also refers to investigative journalism.

The Korean Peninsula has been divided for more than six decades, with a fast-developed capitalist state and a secretive totalitarian state co-existing in uneasy armistice. That contrast has in part led to a great deal of ‘pop journalism’ with little substance when it comes to reporting on the Koreas. Are more South Korean women having plastic surgery? Have the Kims bought yet another luxury yacht?

Fascinating as such questions may be, the two Koreas are more complex beneath the surface.

Our aim at Korea Exposé is “showing Korea as it really is” — to speak to a global audience about the two Koreas in a way that goes beyond the clichés and superficial analysis. We bring together a diverse crowd of writers who see the peninsula from different points of view: South Koreans domestic and abroad, North Koreans who have left their homeland, and non-Koreans who study or live in the region.

By looking at Korea through that multi-faceted lens, we hope to transcend both the simplistic coverage that characterises much of the foreign reporting and the ideologically charged content that many Korean media outlets pass around as news.

At Korea Exposé, we practice journalism that challenges politically motivated censorship and calls on the public to pay attention to the most salient topics in today’s Korean Peninsula. We are proud of our access to sources, fluency in the Korean language, and deep familiarity with the region that enable us to carry out our work.

We hope you will join our project and help us grow into an important voice in the world of Korea-focused reporting.

Se-Woong Koo
Publisher